Bwin and Betway Warned Over Misleading Ads by ASA

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK has been cracking down on gambling companies that are producing misleading promotions. Online gambling operators, bwin and Betway, are the latest companies to come under the radar of the advertising regulator.

The companies both received warnings over advertisements they ran earlier this year and were ordered to be more careful in the future when advertising their promotions.

In March, bwin ran a promotion that offered a £30 welcome bonus for new players who registered an account and deposited at least £10 into their account. The ASA received a complaint from a player who deposited £17 into her account and then found out she would need to wager £102 to get the bonus.

The promotion indicated that there were terms and conditions attached to the bonus, but the ASA ruled that the conditions need to be “clearly stated” in the main body of the advertisement and not just in an attached terms and conditions section.

Betway has also been warned by the ASA over a promotional advertisement it ran on its website in June this year. Betway offered a £30 free wager for football betting. The bonus was available for new customers who deposited a minimum of £10 into their account.

The ASA received a complaint from a customer stating that the advertisement did not specify that customers needed to deposit the same amount to claim the £30 free wager. The operator accepted that the complaint had merit and the ASA issued a warning to Betway to ensure that future advertisements for free wagers are clear in their terms, particularly whether the free wager amount being offered is matched to the value deposited by customers.